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Forty hours a week, at least 26 days of paid leave and strictly regulated overtime: Luxembourg labour law protects employees more than many newcomers expect. Here is an overview of your core rights.
Luxembourg labour law sets clear limits on working time and generous minimum leave entitlements. These rules apply to everyone working in the country, whatever your nationality and whatever your contract says.
The standard working time is 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week. With overtime, the absolute ceiling is in principle 10 hours per day and 48 hours per week. Some sectors organise time over longer reference periods through collective agreements or a work organisation plan, but the average must stay within the legal limits. Every employee is also entitled to daily and weekly rest, and Sunday work is restricted to specific sectors.
Overtime must remain exceptional and generally requires notification to, or authorisation from, the ITM (labour inspectorate). Compensation is favourable to the employee:
| Entitlement | Legal minimum |
|---|---|
| Annual paid leave | 26 working days per year |
| Public holidays | 11 legal public holidays |
| Marriage / civil partnership | Special leave (extraordinary days) |
| Moving house | Special leave (2 days every 3 years with the same employer) |
| Death of a close relative | Special leave, duration depends on kinship |
Many collective agreements grant more than 26 days. Leave is proportional in the first year (about 2.17 days per full month worked), and a public holiday falling on a usual day off (such as a weekend) entitles you to a compensatory day off to be taken within 3 months.
An employer cannot replace untaken statutory leave with money while the contract is running — payment instead of leave is only allowed when the employment relationship ends.
